LIFE & PHYSICAL SCIENCE Introduction & Scientific Method
What is Life & Physical Science? Life Science: the study of living things; biology. Physical Science: The study of matter, non-living materials; physics, chemistry. Includes earth science. Earth science is the name for the group of sciences that deals with Earth and its neighbors in space.
Scientific Inquiry Science assumes that the natural world is Consistent Predictable The goals of science are To discover patterns in nature To use knowledge to make predictions
Scientific Inquiry Science begins with making observations and asking questions. Observation is the process of gathering information about events or processes in a careful, orderly way.
Scientific Inquiry Observations lead to ideas. Ideas can become a hypothesis. Hypothesis: a possible explanation for an observation (untested) A hypothesis can become a theory. Theory: a tested, well supported hypothesis. Scientific Method is used to develop a hypothesis and test it.
Scientific Method Involves a series of steps that are used to investigate a natural occurrence: 1. Observe things/ask a question 2. Form a hypothesis. 3. Set up a controlled experiment/test hypothesis 4. Collect data and analyze results 5. Come up with a conclusion. 6. Share conclusions/report findings
1. Observe things/ask a question What do you observe in this picture? Inference or conclusion: based on observations.
Copyright Pearson Prentice Hall 1. Observe things/ask a question Scientists use data to make inferences. An inference is a logical interpretation based on prior knowledge or experience.
1. Observe things/ask a question Careful observations lead to questions. Your question should compare things. Do plants in sun grow more than plants in the dark?
2. Form a hypothesis. What we think will happen in the experiment. A statement that states the expected answer. A hypothesis can be proven right OR wrong. If, then statement. If we put a plant in the sun, then it will grow more.
Copyright Pearson Prentice Hall 2. Form a hypothesis. How do scientists test hypotheses? A hypothesis should be tested by an experiment in which only one thing is changed at a time.
3. Set up an experiment Tests the hypothesis to answer your question. A variable is something that changes. 2 types of variables: Dependent = value changes depending on other factors; value is NOT known at the beginning of the experiment. Independent = we change, manipulate; value is known at the beginning of the experiment.
Variables, Example Growth of Plants: does more sun make a difference? 8 hours of sun vs. 4 hours of sun. Which plant will grow more quickly? Independent Variable = amount of sun. Dependent Variable = growth of plant.
Controls A control is something that is kept constant. Controls are kept the same through the experiment: What can we control in our plant growth experiment? Controlled Experiment: tests only 1 variable. Why is this important?
4. Collect and Analyze Results The information gathered from observations is called data. 1. Quantitative data (can be measured/#s) 2. Qualitative data (can t be measured/descriptions) Quantitative: Qualitative: Copyright Pearson Prentice Hall
5 & 6. Conclude; Share your results Present findings of the experiment. Was your hypothesis right? wrong? Does the amount of light a plant gets help it to grow more? If hypothesis is wrong, a new one can be stated and tested.